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With the Cartersville Century set for June 30, supporters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bartow County are busy organizing the nonprofit’s largest single fundraiser of the year.

Started in 2000, the Cartersville Century has flourished through the years, now drawing nearly 1,000 participants from throughout the Southeast. The benefit, which also offers cyclists rest stops every 10 to 15 miles along the course and a post-ride meal, is expected to net about $50,000.

“[These funds are] vital. It’s about 15 percent of our budget and that helps both clubs — Cartersville and Adairsville — stay open and fully operational. We don’t have to abbreviate hours or turn away kids,” said Gordon Gilley, chief professional officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Bartow County. “I think the key for us is, there’s a lot of rides but, in our case, not only do all the proceeds benefit the club but it’s done completely with volunteers, completely. We don’t have to pay for rest stops, which is a pretty big process, four or five hours with volunteers.

“I think [the volunteers] get a lot of bang for the buck because, not only do they enjoy doing it for the clubs, it’s a good team-building opportunity for our rest stop sponsors. Also, this ride’s unique that we not only have rider support, which goes right to the clubs, but also we combine that with our corporate sponsors and give them great bang for the buck with sponsorship signs and T-shirts and on our website. … [Our sponsors] are reaching not only our local community here but they’re reaching 900 to 1,000 riders [and] 200 volunteers with their message.”

Opened in May 1990 at the Goodyear Clubhouse in the Atco community, the local offering became the first chartered club in the nation to reach out to boys and girls with the name of its organization. The temporary location drew 110 children in its first week and 400 by the end of the year.

Today, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bartow County features two locations — 642 Henderson Drive in Cartersville and 127 King St. in Adairsville — and serves 300 to 350 children a day with its summer program. During the school year and the summer, the units offer youth ages 6 to 18 supplemental education and activities like arts and crafts, basketball and board games.

For Gilley, there are numerous present and former members that exemplify the positive impact that the clubs have on the community’s youth. Perhaps one of the most glowing illustrations is that of India Jefferson. As a part-time employee for the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Cartersville Unit, the 17-year-old is following in the footsteps of her childhood mentors.

“[I joined the club] on my birthday, as soon as I turned 6 years old,” said Jefferson, a rising senior at Cartersville High School. “I enjoyed the workers the most because they were always here for me and they guided me basically through life and kept me focused on school and teaching me that it’s always good to have friends.”

Through her experiences at the Cartersville Unit — as a member, volunteer and seasonal worker — Jefferson has witnessed the nonprofit’s benefits firsthand.

“This is a place for local kids to come to stay out of trouble,” she said. “I always say the kids are our future so they need something to build off of. [I] just play with them every day, just keep them entertained so they have things to do, feed them [and] talk to them. … There’s so many [children that benefit from the club].

“We do have a special [young] kid here who really didn’t talk, really didn’t know how to talk. And we worked with him and got him more involved with the kids because he was always in the corner by himself. We just brought him out of his shell basically and tried to get him involved in everything.”

To participate in the Cartersville Century, cyclists can register at the event at 6 a.m. or sign up online at http://www.cartersvillecentury.org. Starting and ending at Dellinger Park in Cartersville, the 8 a.m. ride features four distances for individuals to select from: 15 miles, 30 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. Entry fees are $45 per person.

Even though an individual is infected with HIV every 9.5 minutes in the United States, one in five is unaware of their positive status. In light of these statistics and in honor of Wednesday’s National HIV Testing Day, Lola Thomas — executive director for AIDS Alliance of Northwest Georgia — is emphasizing the importance of routine testing.

“Getting treatment early is critical to the success of the treatment itself in that if you wait and you don’t get tested and you have HIV for a long period of time, say years, which can happen with no symptoms showing up, then many times your immune system at that point has been compromised significantly,” Thomas said. “So then even when you go on treatment, you’re having to build your system back up versus if you know you’re HIV positive early on, then the treatment can just keep it stable so that you don’t have that low sinking place followed by hopefully recovery. And for some people quite honestly there is no recovery.

“If you don’t get tested and you’re HIV positive for many years, sometimes people find out when they’ve been hospitalized for a really dreadful illness. So sometimes you don’t even have an opportunity to recover. It’s that serious.”

Formed in 1992, the AIDS Alliance assists about 110 HIV/AIDS clients in 10 northwest Georgia counties. Along with offering HIV/AIDS education and prevention, the Cartersville-based nonprofit also provides services to its clients, such as a housing program and transportation to doctors’ appointments.

At its office — 1 Friendship Plaza, on the third floor of Cartersville’s Train Depot — the AIDS Alliance administers free oral HIV tests each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For National HIV Testing Day, the nonprofit is conducting tests Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. During the anonymous test, a swab is rubbed on a person’s top and bottom gums, then placed into a solution that measures HIV enzymes. Results are available in 20 minutes and pre- and post-counseling also are provided.

“HIV Testing Day tries to help people understand that getting tested is crucial and what we know is that among adults in the United States, only about half of the adults have ever been tested for HIV. … [And] 20 percent of the people that have HIV [do not] know it,” Thomas said. “And that causes great concern because not only is their health likely to decline dramatically but they’re more likely also to infect other people with it. They don’t know they have it, so they don’t take appropriate precautions.”

Found in certain bodily fluids, Thomas said HIV primarily is transmitted by unprotected sexual relations with an infected person or contaminated needles.

According to http://www.aids.gov, “The first cases of what would later become known as AIDS were reported in the United States in June of 1981. Since then, 1.7 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have been infected with HIV, including over 619,000 who have already died and approximately 1.2 million (1,178,350) adults and adolescents who were living with HIV infection at the end of 2008, the most recent year for which national prevalence estimates are available. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic spans the nation with HIV diagnoses having been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. dependencies, possessions, and associated nations.

“CDC estimates that more than one million people are living with HIV in the U.S. One in five (20 [percent]) of those people living with HIV is unaware of their infection. Despite increases in the total number of people living with HIV in the U.S. in recent years, the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. However, new infections continue at far too high a level, with approximately 50,000 Americans becoming infected with HIV each year. More than 17,000 people with AIDS in the U.S. died in 2009 and more than 619,000 people with AIDS in the U.S. have died since the epidemic began.”

For more information about the AIDS Alliance’s offerings, call 770-606-0953

Please join The Bartow Business & Contractors Connection for the First Annual Triangle Party hosted by Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse Express located at 177 South Tennessee Street. There will be great food, beverages, door prizes, live music and more!

Bring plenty of business cards, flyers, brochures – anything you want to promote your business. The BB&CC is free to attend and meet with others who have businesses to promote and make you aware of. If you need work done on your home or business, need to get your business noticed or just want to find out who is doing what in the community – this is a great opportunity for you. If your business provides a service and you want to make others aware, then you don’t want to miss this event.

Last month, over $50,000 in business was generated. One business got a $25,000 contract to put us well over $2,000,000 in business.

If you are struggling to find clients, this will be a tremendous opportunity for you to tell others about your business.

Don’t miss it !!!!!!!!!!!!

For further information on the Bartow Business Connection & Contractors Connection, please contact:

Jessica Fleetwood at 770-547-2157

James Hall at 770-866-2528

Nichole Hughes at 404-391-6335

or you may contact me at the number below.

Hope to see you there,
PARNICK JENNINGS
678-767-7169

If you wish to be removed from this email list, please click the “safe unsubscribe” link in the bottom of this email —this is not spam – we are only sharing information we feel you might want to know.

Last call! July 2 is the deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the upcoming Primary Election and Runoff. You must be a citizen, a legal resident of your county, at least 17 ½ years old (turning 18 by Election Day) and not serving a felony conviction. To begin the registration process, update an existing registration to reflect a name or address change or to check your registration status, visit “My Voter Page” on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website or your county elections office web page.

The Primary Election Ballot: Includes candidates for partisan congressional, state and some local offices as well as nonpartisan judgeships and other local offices. Winners may face off others in the Run-Off or General Election. In addition, voters will be asked whether to adopt a regional T-SPLOST referendum. If adopted, T-SPLOST will add another penny in sales taxes to fund regional and local transportation, transit and related improvement projects.

Via absentee ballot upon your request. You need not have a “reason” to vote absentee.

Advance voting starting July 9 at locations designated by your county registrar

Saturday voting on July 21 at locations designated by your county registrar

July 31, the Primary Election Day, only at your assigned polling place.

Know before you go: Photo ID requirements in effect when voting in person. Accepted documents:

A Georgia Driver License, even if expired

A Georgia Photo ID available through the GA Dept. of Driver Services

A Georgia Voter ID, available at no cost through your county elections office or the Dept. of Driver Services.

Valid employee photo ID issued by any branch of federal, state or local government.

Valid U.S. passport ID

Valid U.S. military photo ID

Brush up now on the do’s-and-don’ts for 501 (c)(3) organizations, staff and officers in election activities by tuning into an easy 15 minute mini-course that explains the law as it applies to us as tax-exempt nonpartisan charities. Charities wishing to make a difference in promoting civic participation can find options to do so from Nonprofit Vote.

I would like to invite you to participate in the United Way’s national DAY OF ACTION on Thursday.

I encourage you to take part in this national strategic effort to do something good for others, either as an individual or as part of a group during your lunch hour or after work. More than 74,000 individuals participated nationwide last year.

No matter where you are in the state, there are opportunities in your local community. Here are a few suggestions: